


red failure

by epistretes



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: AU, Blackwall - Freeform, Bull's Chargers, Cassandra Pentaghast - Freeform, Cole - Freeform, Corypheus - Freeform, Cullen/Fem!Inquisitor, F/M, Hero of Ferelden - Freeform, Iron Bull - Freeform, Josephine Montilyet - Freeform, Leliana - Freeform, Magister Alexius, Massacre, Red Templar Cullen, Sera - Freeform, Solas - Freeform, Sorry Not Sorry, Varric Tethras - Freeform, Vivienne de Fer - Freeform, dorian pavus - Freeform, if not it is open to interpretation, if you want it to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3242810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epistretes/pseuds/epistretes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had always been against the Inquisitor siding with the rebel mages, but this? This was beyond the worst he could have envisioned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	red failure

He had always been against the Inquisitor siding with the rebel mages, but this? This was beyond the worst he could have envisioned.

At first he had resisted, mobilised the meagre, half-trained troops at his disposal. The farmers and second sons fought bravely but ultimately futilely. Iron Bull and his Chargers had led from the front and stained the mountain of Haven with their blood. The few trained troops he had smashed upon the shields of the red templars or died in the rain of fire and arrows from the Venatori.

The Inquisitor had been lost, Sera, Vivienne and Cassandra captured by the Tevinter Magister Alexius. Solas, Blackwall, Varric all giving life and limb to try to aid the fighting alongside a strange boy named Cole who had turned up to try to help. Solas' barriers failing as the swords swung in towards his slim neck and exposing the others to the full onslaught. Leliana had been captured as well as he and he had vomited when he heard what had happened to Josephine as she tried to mobilise a retreat down an old pilgrimage path for those who could not fight.

The Inquisition had failed and he had failed them all more even than he had failed the Circle at Kinloch Hold, more than he had failed the Chantry in Kirkwall.

Now, as he finally submitted and broke after months of torment, he failed himself most of all. Samson smirked in triumph and Cullen whispered a silent plea to the Maker and Andraste for forgiveness in his failure to them.

The red lyrium slipped down his throat and he felt the limits of previous power break. He became the Commander of Corypheus' demon army, second only to Samson with a contingent of desperate Grey Wardens at his word. Some part of him was glad that the Hero of Ferelden was not numbered amongst them. He rained down death and destruction and ravaged Thedas, not noticing the last of himself slipping away.

The day he stared at the Inquisitor - miraculously back from the dead - a knife to Leliana's ruined throat, he felt nothing but pain. He had not believed. He committed his final failure but there was no salvation; not for him. Slitting Leliana's throat, he could not stop the disappearance of her and the rogue Tevinter mage and the last tiny part of him did not want to anyway.

\--------

"I order you never to take lyrium again." She told him, concern in her gaze.

"I promise." He would never fail his Inquisitor - not for anything or anyone.


End file.
